him that would be deliuered from spirituall or freed from eternall iudgements and that would be saued from hell and condemnation to repent of his sinnes to purge and cleanse his heart from wickednes that he may be saued as saith the Prophet Ieremie l Iere. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saued Consider then O man if the hand of God be vpon thee afflicting thee with any outward calamitie and affliction in thy bodie goods and outward state thy remedie is to humble thy selfe before the Lord with Hezekiah to pray vnto thy God and to weepe for thy sinnes with the Niniuites to fast and weepe and pray and to turne from all thy euill wayes that so the Lord may be gracious vnto thee and turne away his anger from thee that thou maiest be preserued Moreouer if the Lord lay vpon thee spirituall iudgements afflicting thy soule and wounding thy conscience with the bitter remembrance of thy sinnes the way to finde rest and comfort to thy soule is to seeke to Christ to come to Christ by faith and repentance confessing thy sinnes and earnestly suing for the pardon of thy sinnes that so Christ may giue thee rest And if thou standest in feare of hell and condemnation if thou bee fearefull of that lake of fire the way and meanes to escape hell and condemnation is now to repent of thy sinnes now to cleanse thy heart from wickednesse now to rise from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and now to haue thy part and portion in the first resurrection and then the second death shal I haue no power ouer thee In a word if we would be preserued from the wrath of God in this life and saued from hell and condemnation in the life to come we must now repent and returne to the Lord now be renewed in minde and reformed in life or else we cannot be saued CHAP. XXIIII Shewing that Repentance procureth blessings Temporall Spirituall and Eternall where of the ioyes of Heauen how these ought to be a most forcible motiue to perswade euery one to repent and to serue God and what comfort they bring THat Repentance remooueth Iudgements hath beene shewed Secondly repentance is also profitable for 2 It procureth blessings Threefold the procuring of blessings And those also threefold Temporall 1 Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Repentance is a meanes to procure First temporall blessings The Prophet Esay hauing exhorted to repentance and amendment of life a Isa 1. 16. 17. Wash ye make you cleane c. Annexeth this promise b Vers 19. If yee be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the land So Ieremie c Jer. 7 5 6. 7. If ye throughly amend your waies and your doings c then will I cause you to dwell in this place so likewise the Prophet Ioel hauing exhorted to repentance d Ioel. 2. 12. 13. therefore now saith the Lord turne ye euen to me with fasting and weeping and with mourning c. annexeth a promise of temporall blessings e Vers 19. The Lord will answere and say vnto his people behold I will send you corne and wine and oyle ye shall be satisfied therewith Secondly spirituall blessings as mercy pardon and 2 Spirituall forgiuenesse of sins the Lord by his prophet Isaiah exhorteth to repentance and vpon repentance maketh a large promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes f Isa 1. 16. 17. 18. Wash ye make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Againe g Isa 55 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon S. Peter in his Sermon to the Iewes hauing laid to their charge the crucifying of Christ exhorteth them to repentance with a promise of mercie and forgiuenesse h Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Againe he saith i Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out Mercie is promised to penitent sinners yea and that free mercy and forgiuenesse so promiseth the Lord by Ezekiel k Eze. 18. 21. 22 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him And by Ieremy hee saith l Ier. 31. 34. I will forgiue their iniquitie and I will remember their sinne no more Thirdly eternall blessednesse Which eternall blessednesse 3 Eternal where of is to be considered First in regard of the excellency of the place of happinesse prepared for all those that haue repented of their 1 The excellency of the place of happinesse sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse The place of eternall happinesse is Heauen whither Christ ascended S. Marke speaking of the ascension of Christ saith m Mar. 16. 19. Hee was receiued vp into Heauen And whither Christ the head is ascended thither shall his members also ascend they shall be where he is As hee himselfe saith n Iohn 14. 2. 3. I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also Many excellent things are spoken of this heauenly place It is called a Kingdome o Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you It is called the kingdome of God p 1 Cor. 69. Know ye not saith S. Paul that the vnrightous shall not inherite the kingdome of God It is called the kingdome of Heauen q Math. 7. 21. Not euery one saith our Sauiour that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter inthe kingdome of heauen And it is called an r 1 Pet. 1. 4. Inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fâ—â—deth not away reserued in heauen for vs And this place of happinesse is all glorious and beaâ—fuâ—l So S. Iohn describeth the heauenly Ierusalem the Cittie of God Å¿ Reu. 21. 18. 19. 20. 21. The building of the wall of it he saith was of Iâ—sper and the Cittie was pure gold like vnto cleaâ—e glasse And the foundations of the wall of the Cittie were gaâ—â—â—shed with all manner of precious stones c. And the twelue gates were twelue Pearles euery seuerall gate was of one â—earle and the street of the Cittie was pure goâ—â— as it were transparent
her husband Vriah was in the warres wherefore when Dauid vnderstood that Bathsheba was with child by him he immediately sent for her husband purposing that he should goe home to his house and to his wife and so the King appointed him but yet Vriah went not This not succeeding then David had another deuise he sent for Vriah againe and made him drunke thinking that â—ow Vriah would forget himselfe and so goe downe to his house and lie with his wife yet Vriah went not This not preuailing then did Dauid deuise a meanes for the taking away of Vriah's life So that Vriah the husband of Bathsheba neuer came vnto her nor euer had knowledge of her after that Dauid had defiled her and so Dauid's sin was found out notwithstanding all the deuises and cunning shifts which he vsed to hide and couer his sinne Chrysostome reasons thus with the sinner that is loath to confesse his sinnes p Quaeâ—â—m vtilitas tua etiamsi nâ—n confitearis num potes latere Deum etiamsi non dicaâ— illa ipse nouit si autem tu dicis ille obliâ—isâ—â—â—ur Chry. de poenit confess What profit hast thou if thou doest not confesse thy sinnes Canst thou hide thy sins from God Although thou confessest them not yet God knoweth them and if thou doest confesse them God forgiueth and forgetteth them But if thou wilst not now confesse them be assured that thou shalt haue them laid open where there shall be greater shame and greater punishment prepared for thee Vnlesse we now lay open our sinnes before the Lord the Lord will lay them open in the day of iudgement before all the world Wherefore it s a verie vaine and foolish thing for any one to hide and couer his sinnes And it s also dangerous For Solamon saith q Pro. 28. 13. he that couereth 2 Dangerous his sinnes shall not prosper He that couereth and hideth his sinnes God will not shew him any fauour nor mercie God will not blesse him nor prosper him Secondly here are also reprooued such as doe not 2 Against those that excuse their sinnes plainely and truely confesse but excuse their sinnes some excuse their sinnes by lessening them I haue sinned indeed I confesse but my sinne is not very great it is but a small one God grant I doe no worse c others excuse their sinnes by comparing themselues with others I confesse I haue sinned but I am not alone there are others as great sinners as I. Some blame the starres I haue sinned and done amisse but it was my ill fortune it was my destinie I was borne vnder an ill planet some blame ill companie but for such companie I had not done so And some lay the fault on God It was the will of God I should doe so Thus many that haue done euill being either ashamed of themselues or afraid of punishment labour to excuse their sinnes and to shift off their sinnes from themselues to others and are loath to accuse themselues Excellently doth Augustine reason of this point r Aug. in Psal 31. Many there are saith he who say when they haue sinned It was the will of God it should be so but they that say not so say thus destinie made me doe it the starres caused me to doe it so that herein they doe but fetch a compasse to lay their sinnes vpon God For what are the starres those that we see in the â—irmament Who made the starres God Who appointed them in their order God This is as much as if thou shouldst blasphemously say God hath made me to sinne Thirdly they are here reprooued who impudently with boldnesse of face stand in defence of their sinnes 3 Against those that defend their sinnes and in so doing they are so farre from confessing their sinnes that they increase the number of their sinnes For Å¿ Culpa cum defenditur geminatur sinne when it is defended is a double sinne Manie will not sticke to say that swearing is lawfull if they sweare truly though it be in their ordinarie communication wherein t Math. 5. 37. yea and nay should be sufficient Manie thinke it s no offence to doe to others as others haue done to them and to requite them with the like measure though the Scripture say u Râ—m 12. 17. recompence to no man euill for euill Manie defend pride of apparell and following of strange fashions to be but decencie and handsomenesse manie hold fornication to be but a tricke of youth a sinne whereunto men are naturally inclined and therefore excusable Manie great and mighty men thinke their oppressing of the poore people laying heauie burdens vpon their shoulders more then they are able to beare and racking them with extreame Rents and Fines to be no sinne because say they Its lawfull for me to doe as I will with mine owne Lastly Worldlinesse and the setting of the mind too much vpon earthly things is defended by the worldling to be carefull prouidence Thus the Deuill teacheth men to hide and couer their sinnes to excuse yea to defend their sinnes and so keepeth them from confessing and acknowledging their sinnes But if the Lord euer open the eyes of sinners to let them see their sinnes then they will not couer their sinnes any longer neither excuse nor defend their sins but with all humble submission will fall downe before the Lord confessing their sinnes that they may finde mercy with the Lord. For he that conereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie CHAP. VIII Of forsaking Sinne. THe fourth step of grace whereby a sinner turneth from sin riseth vp higher and commeth 4 Forsaking of sinne Therein two things neerer vnto God is the forsaking of sinne In handling whereof I will First shew wherein the forsaking of sinne chiefly consisteth 1 What things are required to the forsaking of sinne Three Secondly vse motiues to perswade thereunto For the first To the forsaking of sin there are three things necessarily required First that a sinner doe forsake all and euery sinne that he leaue no sinne vnrepented of Ezechiel saith a Eze. 18. 30. 31 Repent 1 That we forsake all and euery sinne and turne your selues from all your transgressions Againe he saith cast away from you all your transgressions Teaching vs that all sinnes must be repented of and all transgressions must be cast away The Prophet Ieremie saith b Iere. 7. 5. If you throughly amend your wayes and your doings in that he saith throughly it argueth a repentance of all our sinnes The Lord will not be pleased if wee doe onely amend some things that are amisse in vs and leaue many things still amisse and vnamended but when we goe about the worke of repentance and forsaking of sin we should doe it throughly After manie and sundrie plagues sent vpon Pharaoh King of Aegypt and his people â—â— the last Pharaoh was content thus farre to
God daily doe vs good feeding and nourishing vs prouiding things needfull for vs graciously preseruing and defending vs and shall we still vexe and grieue the Lord by our sinnefull course of life hath he not mercifully giuen his Son Christ Iesus to die for vs to saue our soules and shall we foolishly runne headlong into sinne to the vtter destruction and willfull casting away of our soules O consider this yee that set light by the benefits which God hath done for vs. As Moses vpon the rehearsall of the benefits of the Lord done for Israel speakes thus vnto them i Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to loue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule So I say vnto thee O man to whom the Lord hath shewed great mercy and goodnesse vpon whom hee hath bestowed incomparable benefits whom God hath created redeemed and doth continually preserue what doth the Lord thy God require of theâ— for creating redeeming and preseruing thee but to repent of thy former sinnefull life and to turne to thâ— Lord thy God What doth hee require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to â—oue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule CHAP. XVIII Of the patience and long-suffering of God and how it ought to lead vs to Repentance SEcondly in regard of the patience and long-suffering 2 The patience and long-suffering of God of God its necessary for a sinner to cease from his sinnes to repent to turne from sinne and to turne vnto the Lord for the patience and long-suffering of God is exceeding great towards a sinner The Scripture witnesseth the great patience of God Dauid saith a Psal 103. 8. The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger Of the Iewes the Lord saith thus by Esay b Isa 65. 2. I haue spread out my hands all the day vnto a rebellious people St. Paul plainely calls God c Rom. 15. 5. the God of patience The patience of God was great to Niniuch giuing them d Ioh. 3. 4. fortie dayes space to repent And to the Iewes e Act 13. 18. fortie yeares suffering their manners in the Wildernesse But his patience was exceeding great to the olde world giuing them an f Gen. 6. 3. hundred and twenty yeares space to repent How patient the Lord is to sinners how slow hee is to wrath and how he forbeares to punish sinners Chrysostome sheweth comparing the destruction of Iericho with the Creation of the world g Cum struit Deus velociter struit When God buildâ—th saith hee hee buildeth swiftly but when he destroyeth he destroyeth slowly Cum destruit tarde destruit velox Deus struens tarde destruens c. Chrys de panit Hom. 5. God is swift in rearing vp slow in pulling downe In six daies he made the world in six daies he created heauen and earth the Sea and all things therein but God who in a short time made such a great and glorious frame of Heauen and Earth and created such an innumerable companie of Creatures yeâ— purposing to destroy but one Citie in the world Iericho hee tooke the space of seauen daies h Quare num potentia imbecillier sed clementia diutius tolerat Chrys ibid. What was it because hee could not destroy lericho in shorter space No. Hee could haue destroyed it in a moment but hereby he shewed his clemencie his patience his forbearance and long-suffering Now whereas the Lord is so patient and long-suffering towards sinners it should be a forcible motiue to perswade euery sinner to repent of his sinnes to liue no longer in sinne but to turne from sinne and to turne to the Lord that so the Lord might be gracious and mercifull vnto him Thus saith the Prophet Esay i Isay 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord waite that hee may bee gracious vnto you The Lord is gracious and mercifull hee waiteth for our repentance and expecteth when a sinner will turne vnto him that vpon his repentance the Lord may be gracious vnto him and shew mercie vpon him So exhorteth the Prophet Ioel k Joel 2. 13. Rent your heart and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God for hee is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill So S. Peter saith l 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long-suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Wherefore is it that the Lord is patient and long-suffering it is because the Lord is so gracious and mercifull that hee would not haue sinners to perish in their sinnes but rather that they should come to repentance and be saued So then the patience and long-suffering of God should bring sinners to repentance Which serues to reprooue those who abuse the patience Vse and long-suffering of God to licenciousnesse to Against those who abuse the Patience and long-suffering of God wantonnesse and wickednes Because the Lord is gracious and mercifull patient and long-suffering therefore sinners ought to repent and turne to the Lord that he might shew mercy vpon them but wicked and vngodly men perceiuing that they doe wickedly and that God layes no punishment vpon them but suffers them to goe vnpunished Hence they take occasion to sinne the more and so abuse the patience of GOD which should lead them to repentance as the Apostle reasoneth against such a sinner m Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance The sinner that despiseth the patience and long-suffering of God being nothing mooued to repentance for all the patience and long-suffering of Almighty God shewed vnto him is like to an vngracious Childe who hauing done euill and being reprooued of it by his Father and admonished to amend regardeth not his Fathers admonition maketh light of his words and the more that his Father fauours and spares him the worse he growes So a wicked and vngodly man liuing in sinne regardeth not the admonition of the Lord setteth light by the word of God calling him to repentance despiseth the patience and long-suffering of God yea and the longer that the Lord suffers him forbears to punish him the worse he growes It is as the Prophet Esay saith n Isay 26. 10. Let fauour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnes The Iewes in their affliction remembring their sins say o Lam. 3. 22. It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed And surely if we call to mind our manifold sins iniquities which wee daily commit
Reu. 22. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Euenso come Lord Iesus CHAP. VII Of the matter of Prayer shewing for what things wee are to pray HAuing entreated of the persons whom Prayer 4 The subiect matter of Praier Two-fold doth concerne the next which is the fourth thâ—ng in the Treatise of Praier is the subiect matter of prayer and it is two-fold for it is concerning such things for which we are either To pray to God or To praise God For the Scripture as it teacheth vs how they ought to be qualified that doe pray and directeth vs both to whom we must pray and for whom so also it sheweth vs for what we are to pray as also how to praise God for blessings and benefits receiued First of the things for which we are to pray and they 1 Things for which we are to pray Two-fold are to be considered either Generally or Particularly First in generall we are to pray for lawfull things for 1 In generall for lawfull things such things as we may lawfully request at Gods hands S. Iames hath this saying a Iam. 4. 3. For we may pray amisse Two wayes Ye aske and receaue not because ye aske amisse by which words of the Apostle it is euident that a man may pray and pray amisse and a man may aske amisse two manner of wayes First When hee asketh and praieth for vnlawfull things Secondly When hee asketh and praieth for lawfull things but vnlawfully and after an vnlawfull manner First they aske and pray amisse who aske and pray 1 Asking vnlawfull things for vnlawfull things As did the Israelites in asking them a King they come to Samuel and say vnto him b 1 Sam. 8. 5. Make vs a King to iudge vs like all the Nations But it 's said c Verse 6. the thing displeased Samuel And its further said that Samuel praied vnto the Lord concerning this matter and the answer of the Lord was this d Vâ—rse 7. Hearken vnto the voice of the people in all that they shall say vnto thee for they haue not reiected thee but they haue reiected mee that I should not raigne ouer them They made a petition for a King to rule ouer them when as the Lord God was their King But their request was vnlawfull and displeasing vnto the Lord. Such an vnlawfull request was that which the mother of Zebedees children made vnto Christ saying e Mat. 20. 20. 21 Grant that these my two sonnes may sit the one on thy right hand and the other on the left in thy Kingdome How vnlawful this request was may be gathered from the answer of Christ f Verse 22. Ye know not what ye aske First then we may aske amisse asking vnlawfull things Secondly wee may aske lawfull things and yet aske 2 Asking lawfull things vnlawfully Two wayes vnlawfully after an vnlawfull manner and so aske amisse and that two wayes First in not asking according to the will of God S. Iohn saith g 1 Ioh. 5. 14. This is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. In 1 Not asking according to the will of God our prayers we are not to consider so much what we desire and what wee would haue granted vs as whether that which we desire be a thing wel-pleasing vnto God and be according to his will Secondly we may aske lawfull things vnlawfully and 2 Asking good things to an euill end so aske amisse asking good things to an euill end As when men pray for goods and substance aske wealth and riches to waste and consume with riotous liuing Of this S. Iames saith h Iames 3. 4. Ye aske and receaue not because ye aske amisse that ye may consume it vpon your lusts And this of the things which we are to pray for in generall Secondly in particular the things which wee are to 2 In particular pray for are of two sorts For First we are to pray against euill things Two-fold Secondly for the obtaining of good things Both which are set downe by the Apostle S. Paul to Timothy saying i 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications praiers c. be made the first is expressed in the word supplications the later in the word prayers For the first Supplications are such praiers as are made 1 Supplications Against euill things Two-fold against euills which either doe or may befall vs. And these Supplications stand in these two things First that we may be freed from the euill of our former sinnes Secondly that we may deliuered from the euill of the punishment for sinne First Supplications made against the euill of sinne are 1 Against the euill of sinne those praiers which we make to moue the Lord through the humble acknowledgement and confession of our sinnes to be mercifull vnto vs to forgiue vs our sinnes to pardon our offences and to remoue our sinnes from vs. So our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs to pray k Math. 6. 12. forgiue vs our trespasses For the second kinde of Supplications which are made 2 Against the euill of punishment Three-fold against the euill of the punishment for sinne these are three-fold For either we pray that the euill may be auerted and turned away from vs before it fall or that it may be remooued and taken away or that it may bee mittigated and asswaged First in regard of euils that may befall vs wee may 1 To turne away euils and ought to make supplications that the Lord would of his mercy auert and turne them away from vs. For so our Sauiour Christ himselfe praieth l Math. 26. 39. O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Secondly concerning euils that are fallen vpon vs 2 To remooue euils we may make supplications that the Lord of his mercy would remooue them and take them away from vs and that he would deliuer vs out of our trouble as Dauid in his sicknesse prayeth m Psal 6. 2. O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed And againe he prayeth n Psal 25. 22. Redeeme Israel O God out of all his troubles Thirdly concerning euils of punishment afflictions 3 To mitigate asswage euils we may make supplications that the Lord would mittigate and asswage them so Iob supplicates some ease and some mittigation of his paine saying o Joh 7. 19. How long wilt thou not depart from me nor let me alone till I swallow downe my spettle And this of Supplications The second sort of Prayers are made for the obtaining 2 Prayers forthe obtaining of good things of good things and they are called petitions precations requests and by a generall name Prayers which are such praiers whereby we doe beseech and entreate the Lord to bestow some good thing vpon vs either some temporall blessing for this present life or some grace needfull
that we should haue accesse vnto the throne of grace and should haue communication with the Lord. For as a meane subiect would count himselfe a happie man if he might finde such fauour with his Soueraigne Lord the King as that he might haue free accesse into his presence and libertie to make any lawfull request vnto the King with assurance that the King would heare him and grant his petition so a poore Christian whatsoeuer his estimation be in the world concerning his spirituall state is a happie man for he may haue free accesse into the presence of the King of heauen earth he may f Heb. 4. 16. come boldly to the throne of grace may obtaine mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede This exhortation to be deuoutly giuen to call vpon the name of the Lord and to be instant in prayer and supplication vnto God is verie necessarie to be practised of all high and low rich and poore one and other and verie expedient it is for Ministers to call vpon the people euerie where and to exhort them to be frequent and feruent in prayer especially in these euill dayes wherein deuotion with many is waxen colde and with some is fallen asleepe and had need to be awaked I haue shewed by the Scriptures that Moses Dauid Daniel Cornelius with diuers others that the Apostles of Christ yea and Christ himselfe haue beene all much giuen to prayer and I read of Iames g Gal. 1. 19. the Lords brother that with praying much and often h Geâ—ua ipsius in morem camelâ— sensum coâ—tactus amiserint Euseb l. 2 c. 23. his knees were waxen so hard by reason of kneeling much that they were as hard as camels knees so that he had no feeling of any paine when he prayed kneeling vpon his knees That was a happie age and those were blessed times for then men had hard knees and soft hearts but in these euill dayes its contrarie for manie in these our daies haue soft knees and hard hearts In those better times good men were as Cornelius was i Act. 10. 2. deuout men fearing God giuing much almes to the people and praying to God alway But in these dayes manie of vs come farre short of Cornelius his deuotion for he gaue much almes to the people and prayed to God alway I feare it may be truely said of manie amongst vs that they giue few almes to the people and pray to God seldome Wherefore if any haue hitherto beene negligent and slacke in performing this religious dutie of Prayer either publiquely or priuately let them pray and the Lord grant they may pray that the Lord would enflame their hearts with zeale and deuotion that hee would k Zach. 12. 10. powre vpon them the spirit of grace and of supplications and that hee would send his holy Spirit into their hearts to l Rom. 8. 26. helpe their infirmities To teach them to pray as they ought and to m Ver. 15. crie Abba Father And whosoeuer they are that haue alreadie addicted themselues to this holy and heauenly dutie of prayer let them bee encouraged to perseuere and pray that they may haue grace to be constant and to continue therein And now I conclude with the exhortation of Saint Paul n Coless 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing ioyning thereunto the like exhortation of Saint Peter o 1. Pet. 4. 7. the end of all things â—s at hand be ye therefore sober and watch vnto Prayer Now the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation confirme and strengthen our faith till the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and grant that through his grace we may be brought to true and vnfained Repentance and that by the guiding of his holy Spirit we may walke in holy obedience to his heauenly will all the dayes of our life that we may sincerely deuote our selues to Prayer and calling vpon the name of the Lord that so at our last end we may be receiued into the Celestiall Paradisc through the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen ⸪ Deus qui dedit velle dedit etiam perficere Benedictus Deus FINIS
either to be with h Diues in hell torments 1 The Scripture acknowledgeth but two places after this life or with Lazarus in Abrahams bosome that is in ioy and felicity now they that are in heauen are in so great ioyes alreadie that they cannot be bettered till the day of the resurrection when they shall haue fulnesse of glory both in bodie and soule and they that are in hell cannot by h Luk. 16. 22. 23 any prayers be deliuered thence as Abraham tells Diues i Ver. 26. betweene vs and you there is a great gulfe fixed so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they passe to vs that would come from thence From Hell there is no redemption Secondly whereas the Romish Church teacheth and 2 All the faithfull and true beleeuers are cleansed from their sinnes in this life holdeth that they that are cast into Purgatorie are of the faithfull sort beleeuers the Scripture prooueth that all the faithfull all true beleeuers are washed and cleansed from their sinnes in this life and are therefore blessed after this life For S Iohn saith k 1. Ioh. 1. 7. the bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne St Paul saith l Rom. 8. 1. there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Christ himselfe saith m Ioh. 5. 24. He that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life And a voice from heauen saith vnto Iohn n Reu. 14. 13. Write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them Now seeing that the state of the faithfull beleeuers is such that they are cleansed and purified from their sinnes in the bloud of Christ seeing there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ seeing they that beleeue in Christ shall not come into condemnation but passe from death to life and seeing that all the faithfull are blessed when they die and their workes follow them that is they haue the reward of their workes then it is euident that they goe not to any place of torment before they come to heauen but vpon their dissolution they ascend to heauen and are with Christ 3 The canonicall Scripture doth not mention prayer for the dead Thirdly the Canonicall Scripture doth not so much as mention Prayer for the dead no not in those places where there is mention of sacrifices and prayer yea mention of the death of the righteous but rather the contrarie S. Paul to the Thessalonians saith o 1. Thes 4. 13. I would not haue you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not euen as other which haue no hope Where the Apostle giueth vs to vnderstand that if our friends departed were in any place of torment if they were in paine and miserie then indeed we had cause to sorrow and mourne to pray and to doe any thing that might procure them ease but saith the Apostle I would not haue you to sorrow as men without hope as if he had said If you haue hope that your friends departed are at rest haue ease and shall rise againe to glorie why then doe you sorrow for them as they that haue no hope either of their present rest or future Resurrection to glorie you should rather reioyce for that they are at rest Fourthly though it cannot be denied but that Prayer 4 Prayer for the dead though it be auncient yet is it neither Apostolicall nor yet vsed by the most auncient orthodoxall Fathers of the Church as it is by the Romists at this day for the dead is an auncient custome long vsed in the Church yet notwithstanding I say First that it commeth short of that antiquitie to be an Apostolicall doctrine For before p Tertul. de coro mil. Turtullians time there 's little or no mention of Prayer for the dead and he himselfe acknowledgeth that it hath no firme foundation in the Scriptures but onely from Tradition and custome Secondly the auncient Fathers did not vse Prayer for the dead as the Romish Church doth vse it at this day namely for the easing of soules in Purgatorie and to deliuer them from thence but for other ends as hath bin sufficiently declared before And the auncient Fathers if they be rightly vnderstood doe nothing at all confirme the doctrine of the present Romish Church concerning their manner of praying for the dead The consideration hereof serues Vse 1 First to reproue those who when they speake of their Against those that pray for mercie to the soules of their friends departed friend departed pray that God would haue mercie on their soules for although the Prayers of the auncient Church for the soules of the dead might receiue some tollerable interpretation before Purgatory was beleeued yet now since that the Romish Church hath deuised a Purgatorie and that it is held amongst them as an article of faith it is dangerous to make such a Prayer For this kinde of Prayer that God would haue mercy on his soule howsoeuer it may demonstrate the affection of him that prayeth for his friend departed yet may it be offensiue two wayes First by taking Gods name in vaine through a too frequent and common vsing of it in ordinarie communication as the manner of some is Secondly by an opinion of supposing his friend to be in Purgatorie for in praying for mercie to his soule hee supposeth or at least breeds an opinion in the mindes of the hearers that he doth suppose that the soule of his friend departed is in the paines of Purgatorie and hath neede of mercie to be shewed to his soule whereas it is certaine that the faithfull departed out of this life haue obtained mercie before they yeeld vp the Ghost and they are purged cleansed from their sins in the bloud of Iesus Christ Secondly hence we learne that although it be vnlawfull Vse 2 to pray for any one departed in particular for his It is no superstition to laud and praise God for the departure of our Christian friends ease in or deliuerie out of Purgatorie yet it is no superstition to laud and prayse God for the departure of our Christian friends out of the miseries of this mortall life nor yet to wish to vs and them in generall the hastning of Christ's second comming to iudgement that we with them and they with vs may haue a glorious Resurrection and enioy perfect blessednesse both in bodie and soule For q Perk. Cathol reform de Purgator this is included in that Petition r Mat. 6. 10. Thy kingdome come And this is that sweete and pleasant voice of the Bridegroome Christ Iesus and of the Bride the spouse of Christ the Church of God and euery faithfull soule Å¿
vnto the end haue continued in their goodnesse vnto the end It is said of King Asa that k 1 Kin. 15. 14. his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes Paul saith l 2 Tim. 4. 7. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith And Dauid speakes thus of his perseuerance m Ps 119. 1â—2 I haue inclined mine heart to performe thy statutes alway euen vnto the end These are examples left for our instruction to teach vs to labour for the grace of perseuerance that we may continue to the end as they did 3 The necessity of perseueraÌ„ce Thirdly this grace of perseuerance is exceeding necessary for 1 All that begin well doe not end wâ—ll First All that beginne well doe not continue in well-doing many fall away from their former goodnesse and grow worse and worse of which S. Paul forewarneth Timothie saying n 2 Tim. 3. 13. 14. Euill men and seducers shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued but continue in the things which thou hast learned and hast beene assured of o Incipere muâ—torum â—st finire vero paucorum Auth. operis impert in Math. Hom. 24. Many beginne well saith one but few end well Which ought to be a caueat for vs to take heed lest hauing begunne well we should waxe wearie of well-doing The fall of others should be our admonition to stand fast in the faith and to hold on our course of godlinesse to the end Secondly except we perseuere and continue to the 2 Except wee continue to the end we cannot obtaine the crowne of glory end we cannot obtaine the crowne of immortall glory nor possesse that kingdome which is prepared for them that do perseuere continue to the end To the Angell of the Church in Philadelphia Christ saith p Reu. 3. 11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne Such is the necessity of perseuerence Fourthly to perswade vs to perseuere and continue 4 The benefit of perseuerance in goodnesse consider the benefites that come by continuing in well doing to the end The benefit of perseuerance is great For First It brings Saluation q Math. 24. 13. Hee that shall endure vnto 1 Saluation the end saith our Sauiour the same shall be saued r Salus inâ—piâ—ntibus promiâ—titur praemium perseuerantibus datur Saluation is promised to them that begin well but the reward is giuen to them that perseuere and continue to the end Secondly they that continue to the end shall haue a kingdome So our Sauiour promiseth to his Disciples and in them to all that continue to the end saying Å¿ Luke 22. 28. 29 30. Yee are they which haue contined with me in my temptations and 2 A kingdome I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed vnto me that ye may eate and drinke with me at my table in my kingdome Thirdly through perseuerance wee shall come to 3 A Crowne weare a crowne in the kingdome of heauen Of which S. Paul speakes thus t 2 Tim. 4. 7. 8. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Here 's perseuerance Now heare what the reward of perseuerance is Henceforth there is laid vp for me a Crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day And not to mee onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing Fourthly Perseuerance in grace and continuing in 4 Eternall life holinesse vnto the end brings eternall life Of which S. Paul saith u Rom. 6. 12. But now being made free from sinne and become seruants to God ye haue your fruit vnto holinesse and the end euerlasting life The consideration of this that a Christian may perseuere Vse and continue in goodnesse vnto the end and Against those who fall backe from grace and goodnesse that he ought so to doe as hath beene prooued serues to reprooue those who fall backe from grace and former goodnesse for which going backeward S. Paul reprooues the Galathians and layes folly to their charge x Gal. 3. 3. Are ye so foolish hauing begunne in the spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh No man saith our Sauiour hauing y Luke â— 62. put his hand to the Plow and looking backe is fit for the kingdome of God z Gen. 19. 26. Lots wife looking backe from Sodome became a pillar of Salt Ephraim and Iudah are both reprooued by the Prophet Hosea for their want of perseuerance and continuance in goodnesse a Hosea 6. 4. O Ephraim what shall I doe vnto thee O Iudah what shall I doe vnto thee for your goodnesse is as a morning cloude and as the early deaw it goeth away Our goodnesse should bee of more continuance then the morning deaw which being drawne vp by the heate of the Sunne vanisheth and is gone Our goodnesse should rather bee like the greene Bay tree which is greene and flourishing both Winter and Summer Such ought our perseuerance in goodnesse to be that neither in the cold winter of aduersity nor in the hote Summer of prosperity wee lose the greenenesse of grace and vertue but for goodnesse be still the same and continue in well-doing in all states and conditions through the whole course of our life What shall it profit thee O man to enter into the good way and to turne backe againe To beginne to doe well and to be weary of well-doing To beginne well and to end ill Wretched Iudas that Sonne of perdition made shew of a very good beginning but his last end was fearefull and damnable Paul beganne ill but he ended well More happy was Paul who though he beganne ill ended well then Iudas who began well and ended ill Wherefore if wee bee going with the Israelites to the Land of Canaan let vs not thinke on the b Exod. 16. 3. flesh-pots of Aegipt If we be going with Lot towards Zoar see wee doe not with c Gen. 19 22. 26 Lots wife looke backe to Sodome And if with d Ruth 1. 14. 15. 16. Naomi wee bee going to the Land of Iudah let vs not goe backe againe with Orpah to Moab But hold on with Ruth to Iudah Yea let vs goe on walking in holinesse and righteousnesse towards the promised Land the new Ierusalem the Citty whose builder and maker is God And hauing escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ let vs take heede that wee be not againe intangled therein and ouercome lest the latter end be worse with vs then the beginning And to encourage vs herein let it be remembred that except we doe perseuere in goodnesse and continue in a godly course of life vnto the end we cannot obtaine the Crowne of immortall glory which God hath prepared for them that loue him But if we
perseuere and continue to the end then through the mercy of God and the merites of Christ our Sauiour wee shall obtaine saluation inherite a Kingdome and be crowned with glorie CHAP. XI Of the time of Repentance HItherto of the manner how a Sinner may truly repent and of the steps of grace whereby a sinner returneth vnto God and ascendeth vp to the high mountaine of heauen The fourth thing in the treatise of Repentance is 4 The time of Repentance concerning the time of repentance And the time when a sinner ought to repent is threefold The First is the time of this present life Threefold The Second is the time of grace The Third is the time present Touching the First The time of this present life euen 1 The time of this present life the short time that we haue to liue heare on earth is the time yea the longest and largest time that God hath granted vnto vs for our repentance as is euident by the Scriptures Dauid saith a Psa 6. 5. In death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thanks Christ our Sauiour saith b Iâ—h 9. 4. I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke where by day is meant the time and space of this present life and by night the time after this life c Diâ— sumê° in hac vita nos iuuari a vobis possumus vos potestu in nos conferre beneficia cum autem abierimus illuc ibi neâ— amicus neque frater neque pater idoneus erit ad liberandum cum qui â—uplicijs deputetur aeternis Chrys de coÌ„punct cordis l. 2. while we are in this life saith Chrysostome you may helpe vs and doe vs good but when we shall depart thither there neither friend nor brother nor father will be found fit to deliuer him that is deputed to eternall torments Theophilact vpon those words of our Sauiour Christ d Luk. 52. 4. Quandâ—â— super tâ—rram sumus potermus peccata nostra at posiquam eterra migrauerimus non vltra c clausa enim est ianua Theophil in Luk. 5. The sonne of man hath power vpon earth to forgiue sinnes saith e while we are vpon earth we may haue our sinnes blotted out but not after we are departed out of this life for then the gate is shut and another saith * either here saluation is won or lost Now whereas the time of this present life is the time of our repentance yea the longest largest time that God hath granted vnto any one to repent and amend his life this serues for confutation of that Popish doctrine of Purgatory whereby they make the simple people beleeue that their sinnes may be purged away after this life that satisfaction may be then made for temporall punishment whereas the true purging away of sinnes is onely in this life Now in this life while God giueth vs time and space to repent while the light of the Gospell shineth and whiles that God offereth vs the meanes of saluation is the onely time for vs to worke f Aut his salus acquiritur aut amittitur Cypr. out our saluation now is the time for vs to runne that we may obtaine now is the time to fight against our Vse spirituall enemies that we may ouercome and winne Against Purgatorie the crowne of righteousnesse now is the time either to winne of loose the kingdome of heauen and now is the time to aske seeke and knock afterwards when the gate is shut it will be to late Secondly the time of our repentance which God 2 The Time of Grace hath granted vnto vs in this present life is not any time of our life when we our selues will but it is the time of Grace euen that blessed time wherein God doth gratiously offer vnto vs the meanes of saluation calling vs to repentance and all that space of time wherein God sheweth his patience and long suffering forbearing vs and waiting when we will turne vnto him S. Paul preached thus to the Athenians who had liued in idolatrie and ignorance saying f Acts. 17. 30. the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men euery where to repent Now when Christ is reauealed and the Gospell preached it is time for all men euery where to repent And to the Corinthians he saith g 2. Cor. 2. 6. behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of saluation the h Gen. 6. 3. hundred twenty yeeres while the arke was preparing was the time of repentance for the old world wherein Noah a preacher of righteousnesse warned them to repent And the i Ion. 3. 4. forty dayes granted to the Niniuites was their time of repentance whiles that Ionah the prophet of the Lord threatned them with the ouerthrow of there city except they repented The consideration whereof may admonish vs not to Vse harden our hearts against the word of the Lord but to Not to harden our hearts against the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance hearken to the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance that we doe not willfully passe ouer the time of grace offered vnto vs and that we doe not despise the patience and long suffering of almighty God inuiting vs to repentance this carelesse passing ouer the time of grace and not turning to the Lord when he called to repentance was the sinne of Ierusalem noted by our Sauiour Christ in his dolefull lamentation for them saying k Luk. 19. 42. If thou hadst knowne euen thou at least in this thy day the things which belong vnto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eies In that he saith in this thy day he giueth vs to vnderstand that they had their day and time of repentance wherein God offered them grace and mercie hauing long and often called them by his prophets and now in the last daies hauing sent his owne sonne to call them to repentance but they regarded it not and therefore wofull misery befell them and their citie l Ver. 43. 44. For the daies shall come vpon thee saith our Sauiour that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side and shall lay thee euen with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Let their example be our warning to take heede of neglecting or despising the meanes of our saluation that we doe not refuse grace offered but hearken to the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance as the Apostle exhorteth m Heb. 3. 15. 16 To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your harts as in the prouocation for some when they had heard did prouoke When the Lord said n
against the Lord by thought word deed we cannot but acknowledge that it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed The Lord might in his iustice cut vs off for the very first transgression for one euill thought for one wicked word for one sinnefull deede and when we find the mercy and goodnesse of God so much shewed towards vs as to spare â—s and suffer vs to liue notwithstanding our vile wicked and sinnefull life O how ought wee to acknowledge the goodnesse of God herein and how ought wee to praise the Lord for his mercy and patience towards vs in suffering vs so long Wherefore a sinner should be so far from making the patience of God to be an occasion of deferring that it ought rather to hasten his repeatance And he should reason thus hitherto I haue liued in sinne and done wickedly and yet the Lord hath beene â—o gracious vnto me that he hath spared me he might haue cut me off in the midst of my sinnes it is of the Lords mercies that I am not consumed and now I know not whether the Lord will forbeare me any more Wherefore I will delay the time no longer I will now repent I will now returne vnto the Lord the patience and long-suffering and the goodnesse of the Lord shall lead me to repentance CHAP. XIX Of the shortnesse of our life of the certaintie of death and the vncertaintie of the day and houre of death and how in regard of these its necessarie for a sinner to repent THirdly its necessarie for a sinner to repent of his sinnes and to amend his life in regard of 3 The shortnesse of mans life the shortnesse of our life In the first age of the world men liued long because as yet sin was not multiplied in the world for as one saith a Dâ—câ—râ—â—tus est 〈…〉 decâ—â—sus sâ—â—â—â—dum 〈…〉 cap. â—6 the course of mans life was shortned according to the increase of some For when sinne beganne to be multiplied on the earth when the wickednesse of man was great in the earth then did God drowne the world of the vngodly and shortned the dayes of man so that whereas in the beginning of the world and before the stood men liued eight or nine hundred yeere after the floud they attained not two hundred for Abraham liued but an b Gen. â—5 7. hundred threescore and fifteene yeeres And Iacob counteth his dayes to be c Gen 47. 9. an hundred and thirtie And in the time of Moses the dayes of mans life were counted but d Psal 90. 10. threescore and ten The Scriptures speake thus of the shortnesse of mans life Iob saith e Iâ—b 14. 1. Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes Dauid thus f Psal 39. 5. behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee verily euery men at his best state is altogether vanitie Our life for the shortnesse thereof is compared to things of great swiftnesse and short continuance Iob compares our life to a g Job 7. 6. Weauers shuttle to a running h Iob. 9. 25. 26. Post to the swift Ships and to the flying of an Eagle hasting to the prey to a i Iâ—b 14. 2. flower of the field that is soone cut downe and withered as alâ—o to a shaddow that fleeth and continueth not Dauid to the k Psal 103. 15. grasse and slower of the field which in the morning flourisheth and groweth vp in the euening is cut downe and withereth St Iames to a l Iam. 4. 14. vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away The woman of Tekoa in her parable compares the life of man to m 2 Sam. 14. 14. water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe and indeed n Pretâ—reunt annâ—m refluentis aquae our yeeres passe away as the running waters For as all Riuers runne into the sea from whence they came so doe all men runne and hast to the earth from whence they came Our life is nothing else but a passing from life and a tending to death For from our infancie we passe to child-hood from childhood to young age from yong age to middle age from middle age to old age and from old age to death Now the shortnesse of our life ought to be a great motiue to perswade vs to repentance and amendment of life And to be warie how we spend our dayes This Moses the man of God teacheth vs from the consideration of the shortnesse of our life for hauing told vs that the length of our dayes is but threescore yeares and ten hereupon prayes and therein teacheth vs to pray o Psal 90. 12. so teach vs to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome This reprooues the great folly of those who spend their daies in vanitie and wickednesse liuing at ease passing Vse away their time in eating and drinking and making Against those who spend the shoâ—t time of their life ill merrie considering not how short their life is nor how soone and suddenly they may be cut off and their daies come to an end It is with manie as Iob saith p Iob. 21. 13 they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment goe downe to the graue It is the prayse of Moses that when he was in Pharaoh's Court and might haue liued there in all worldly honour and enioyed his pleasures at full yet q Heb. 11. 25. he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter chusing rather affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Letting vs thereby vnderstand two things first that the pleasures of sinne are but for a season secondly that a wise man as Moses will not aduenture the losse of felicitie in heauen which is euerlasting for the enioying of the pleasures of sinne for a season Sinne is committed in this present life and this life is but short we are but of small continuance here and therefore if a man should giue himselfe to all sports and mirth that could be inuented and solace himselfe in all worldly delights and earthly pleasures euen to satietie yet these pleasures would be but for a short time but for a season now no wise man none but a very foole will buy his pleasures so deare as for the enioying of his earthly pleasures to loose heauenly ioyes and for the winning of things temporall to loose things eternall Fourthly its necessarie for a sinner to repent and amend 4 The certaintie of Death his life if he consider the certaintie of death Our life is but short and death is certaine God hath determined the end of mans dayes vpon earth After that Adam had finned God said vnto him r Gen. 3. 19. dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne Iob saith Å¿ Iob 14. 10. Man dieth and wasteth away yea man giueth